rent supplement?

Hi,
In relation to rent allowance.
Husband and wife both - on Inval Pension due to long term ill health problems own a house at present but due to ill health need to live beside a family memer, for support and help.

Neither of them have lived at their own house for the past 3 years due to illness but live with parents.

Do they qualify for rent allowance if a suitable house came up for rent near parents.

Parents are living in an old house belonging to a son who has emigrated for the next no of years.

Own house is small and in an area which is very rentable but obviously cannot rent it as it may interfer with Inv Pen payments and they cannot afford to loose these payments, or medical cards etc but on the other hand, cannot sell, cannot buy (won't meet mortgage lender approval- wage wise and also because one partner is currently one year in remission from Cancer - life cover impossible to get, I believe - either way a life policy would probably cost more than a mortgage! - it a catch 22 situation.

Any suggestion on how to get a house near parents. No land available near parents where council will give planning - have tried this method before 2nd illness struck.

Any suggestions at all would be grateful.

Firstly, Invalidity Pension is based on PRSI contributions and is not means-tested, so rental income would not affect the pensions.

Property not used or enjoyed by the owner(s) is assessable for both medical card & rent supplement - if rented, the rental income is assessed, if not rented, the capital value of the property is assessed.

Is there space at the son's house for an extension/granny flat?

Could the couple do a deal with the local authority to sell the house to them, in return for some LA accommodation if it were available close to the required area? ( I know this has happened in Dublin in the past, person sold house to LA in return for a senior citizen's flat in the locality).

Could the parents move closer to the couple perhaps?

Hi,
thank you for comments and valid suggestions.
Parents are not in a position to move so really only way I can see it is to rent out own house, pay mortgage with that (maybe put it up for sale as well) and see can we quialify for rent supplement - but there's my problem. I did write to local CWO but got no reply from my query and that was c 4month ago.